Raffensperger arrived more or less part an hour prior to his scheduled testimony on Thursday, pronouncing it might be “expectantly quick” on his manner into the courthouse.
The Republican is a central witness in Fulton County District Lawyer Fani Willis’ investigation, which kicked off after Raffensperger’s notorious January 2021 name with the previous President got here to gentle. All through the decision, Trump harassed Raffensperger to “to find” the votes essential for Trump to win Georgia — a state Joe Biden received via just about 12,000 votes.
Raffensperger, who confronted a wave of demise threats for upholding Georgia’s election effects, later penned a e book during which he famous that he had many times felt threatened via Trump throughout the decision.
Along with Raffensperger’s testimony, investigators subpoenaed paperwork from the Georgia secretary of state’s workplace referring to the Trump-Raffensperger name, the 2020 election audit and hand rely, a forensic audit of Dominion vote casting apparatus and the transcript from a Georgia Senate election listening to that featured an look from former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.
Willis has additionally subpoenaed Georgia Lawyer Common Chris Carr in addition to a number of different state election officers to seem as witnesses prior to the particular grand jury.
Whilst Willis has been investigating Trump’s efforts to upend Georgia’s election effects for neatly over a 12 months, a distinct grand jury used to be in any case decided on in Might to start issuing subpoenas and listening to proof within the case. With Raffensperger in the hunt for reelection, Willis held off on calling for him to testify till after Georgia’s GOP number one remaining month, the place Raffensperger defeated his number one opponent Rep. Jody Hice.
Willis is investigating doable crimes, together with the solicitation of election fraud, conspiracy, racketeering, making false statements to state and native executive our bodies and violence or threats associated with election management.
When the particular grand jury completes its paintings, it’s going to factor a file with a advice on whether or not Trump or any of his allies will have to face fees. If the panel recommends fees, Willis can pass to some of the continuously impaneled grand juries in Fulton County to hunt an indictment.
CNN’s Niah Humphrey contributed to this file.
